Spain's squad for Doha is set: the rackets of the 16 World Cup picks

The guessing game is over. Spain's padel federation (FEP) made the definitive squad official this Thursday, September 24, at the CUPRA City Garage in Madrid for the FIP World Cup 2026, the World Championships to be held in Doha from November 2 to 7 at the Khalifa International Tennis & Squash Complex. From the 24-name preliminary list announced on September 16 — we covered it here —, selectors Juanjo Gutiérrez and Carolina Navarro trimmed the roster to 16: eight men and eight women.

The event drew more than 25 accredited media outlets, with FEP president Javier Rodríguez on stage and two guest godfathers: football world champions Ferran Torres and Fabián Ruiz lent their voices to the official announcement video. The new kit was also presented, and the FEP will send a shirt signed by the internationals to the Ceuta Padel Federation.

Two decisions carry the whole debate: Aimar Goñi makes the men's team and Marta Ortega wins the battle for the last women's spot against Alejandra Salazar. The women's side defends the title they won in Doha in 2024; the men's side wants revenge after losing that final against Argentina.

Gutiérrez's eight: an "aggressive and brave" squad

The men's roster: Arturo Coello, Ale Galán, Juan Lebrón, Paquito Navarro, Mike Yanguas, Coki Nieto, Jon Sanz and Aimar Goñi. Left out of the preliminary list: Momo González, Javi Leal, Fran Guerrero and Pol Hernández.

The head coach explained his call: "I looked for a group adapted to the conditions we'll face in Doha, aggressive and brave, because that's what it will take. The level is pretty high — the six of them have deserved it for a long time, and so do the two newcomers (Goñi and Sanz)." The side split works out as Coello, Lebrón, Yanguas and Sanz on the forehand (drive) side and Galán, Coki Nieto, Goñi and Paquito on the backhand (revés) side.

The big story is Aimar Goñi: at 20 years old and 1.90 m tall, the Navarrese player is having the best season of his career — world No. 32, his career-high ranking — and arrives backed by the Paris Major, where he and Edu Alonso knocked out Yanguas and Nieto (6-4, 6-3) on the way to the quarter-finals. A first-time international, he is the "fourth left-side player" Gutiérrez wanted: raw power and wingspan for what are expected to be fast conditions.

Navarro's eight: three established pairs and a free No. 1

The women's roster: Gemma Triay, Ari Sánchez, Bea González, Paula Josemaría, Andrea Ustero, Claudia Fernández, Martina Calvo and Marta Ortega. Out: Ale Salazar, Tamara Icardo, Ale Alonso and Marina Guinart.

Carolina Navarro's logic is almost modular: the three pairs who play together on the tour — Josemaría-González (world No. 2), Sánchez-Ustero (No. 3) and Fernández-Calvo (No. 4) — plus world No. 1 Gemma Triay, who will share a team with Marta Ortega, a player she already knows well. The Salazar case is the most human one: in her final year as a pro, after her farewell at the Madrid P1, she will not get a last World Cup.

The rackets of the picks: what's in the catalog

Of the squad flying to Doha, eight internationals play with models already listed on PalaComparer:

• Arturo Coello, half of the world No. 1 pair, plays with his signature model: the HEAD Coello Pro 2026 — Head Coello Pro 2026from 142,11 €.
• Ale Galán leads with the Adidas Metalbone family, the reference line of the last few seasons: the Metalbone 2026 — Adidas Metalbone 2026from 241,99 €.
• Juan Lebrón, now in Babolat green, plays the Technical Viper 3.0 2026 — Babolat Viper 3.0from 189,90 €.
• Paquito Navarro stays true to Bullpadel's explosive saga: the Hack 05 2027 — Bullpadel Hack 05from 284,99 €.
• Jon Sanz plays Drop Shot's offensive weapon: the Axion Attack 2.0 2026 — Drop Shot Axion Attack 2.0 2026from 149,95 €.
• Gemma Triay, the No. 1, plays the Bullpadel Elite 02 2027 — Bullpadel Elite 02from 241,99 €.
• Ari Sánchez carries the lightweight Adidas Arrow Hit Light 2026 — Adidas Arrow HIT Light 2026from 175,99 €.
• Bea González plays the Bullpadel Pearl 2026 — Bullpadel Pearl W 26from 149,99 €.

For the rest of the squad, the gear is verified but not yet catalogued: Mike Yanguas is starting the season with the LÕK Maxx Hype Gen 2 (his signature model in the brand's new collection), Coki Nieto arrives at his first World Cup with Kuikma — he left Babolat in January and is getting his first signature racket — and Aimar Goñi plays with Nox, the same brand as his partner Edu Alonso, with a signature model (AG10) reportedly coming for 2027. The rackets of Josemaría, Ustero, Calvo, Fernández and Ortega are pending verification for the catalog.

The road to Doha

A busy month of tour padel stands between now and the World Cup: the Rotterdam P2 (September 28 - October 4), the Kuwait Major (October 23-31) and, in November, the Mexico Major before the Premier Padel Finals in Barcelona. Doha cuts right through that fight for points and titles, with Spain's women defending the crown and the men chasing the throne they lost in 2024. The first stone is laid: these are the 16 who will go for it.